Fussy eating is back

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Not as bad as he has been but Damien (5) has gone off meat. The only meat he will eat happily is mince and there is no way we are having that every night! He will eat fruit and veges (but not potato), chicken and fish but he needs red meat for the iron.
What foods can I give him that he will eat that have lots of iron????? Am going to see Pharmacist in morning and check out a multi vitamin.

what about beef hot dogs ?......some veggies are rich in iron also

You could also try telling him those same cows love eating plants, so it's like eating every plant they ate.

Worked for these two LFA boys I used to sit.

Tofu and chicken can make up a bit of the meat, but nothing comes close to a good steak. Try giving him those Flinstones vitamins, even with my fussy eating moments, they were good enough.

If you don't get rid of the fussy eating now he will be a fussy eater at age 30.

Iron...Cream of Wheat....Oatmeal....raisins...spinach.... Go online and find others.

As for fussiness...mine both went through it. Couldn't get number one to eat potatoes for the life of me. He just didn't like the texture. As for meat, I'll make soups and let it cook till it's very tender. Cut it in strips in sauce and lie about what it is... Pasta with sauce is a good way to hide things, soup is great...

Don't worry and keep it coming. Eventually they switch and start eating again.

Good luck!

Soy nuts (dried soybeans) have some iron, but not too much, and they're an excellent source of protein. How do you know if he needs more iron? Females need more iron than males, but getting too much isn't good. I've never had a problem with iron, despite moderate red meat consumption.

I think he can get iron from spinach and possibly other vegetables. What I would be worried about also is vitamin B12. This can be gotten from eggs and milk, but may be hard to digest. I think a supplement is best.

A diet low in red meat has advantages. Also, a lot of fish has advantages too, especially wild Salmon, however you need to be worried about mercury intake.

I know it sounds complicated, but once you learn you can give him a good diet. I think overall the tendency to stay away from red meat is a healthy thing--but entirely away from it is challenging.

Wikipedia is a good source for looking up iron and vitamin B12 sources other than red meat. You could also find out which fishes are less dangerous in terms of mercury. If you figure it out, this diet could have a healthy effect on your entire family.

From what I have seen (I'm not a parent, but have about 30 nieces and nephews), pressuring a child to eat something will just make him resist more. Acting like it's nothing, and working around it keeps his "honor" and he may go back to it on his own, but overall this is much better than, say, refusing to eat anything but deserts. Then you'd have a challenge. Less red meat is a good direction.

I personally don't think red meat is that big a deal. Most of my family doesn't care for it; my SIL who has the healthiest family alive NEVER eats it. What she does serve is a lot of kale, chard, spinach, and beet greens. EVERY night, lol. But they are all rich in iron.

You know how I realized I might be pregnant the first time? The first sign? I was CRAVING spinach. For the iron.

I will repeat the oatmeal recommendation. Oatmeal is a great food that has lots of benefits. It has a surprising amount of iron in it. My son is pretty much a vegetarian as well.

Thanks for your replies.
Kip, I like your idea I think I will try that.

Wonderwoman, he can't drink or eat alot of dairy and spinach is so expensive but then again he won't eat silverbeat so I doubt he will eat spinach. He gets fish once a week and the fish we have here is pretty low in mercury.
I have to go to chemist anyway today so will have a chat with them to find the best suppliment for him.

I get frozen spinach and make an omelet with Egg Beaters. I add some Mrs. Dash for flavor. Mesquite is good, and so is the Tomato, Basil, Garlic blend. I'm not sure if you have these options or their equivalents where you are. I hope some of the suggestions in the thread work out.

http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/dave/hemobrochure.html